Millers beaten by Shrews

Despite a strong finish from Rotherham United at Shrewsbury this afternoon they couldn`t overturn the early goal that Lionel Ainsworth scored to give the home side all three points and send them to the top of the table.

Referee, Trevor Kettle, not unknown to the Millers, was in the spotlight in the opening minutes when Tom Newey went down under a challenge from Matt Harrold and stayed down with a head injury. Usually the game is stopped but Mr Kettle seemed happy to let play go on and in the confusion Lionel Ainsworth sent the ball across goal that Andy Warrington, in the Millers` goal did well to parry away. But it wasn`t long before the home side scored. Craig Disley drove the ball into the area and with the Millers defenders ball watching he found Ainsworth unmarked and he tapped the ball into the net. Two minutes later the visitors had a shot at goal from Kevin Ellison but it was easily saved by Chris Neal in the Shrews goal. Ian Sharps nearly doubled the Shrews score from an Ainsworth corner but Warrington did well to save while ten minutes later the Millers shot stopper did well to get a hand to a dangerous shot from Ainsworth. Danny Harrison had the chance to equalise when Adam Le Fondre laid on a superb ball to him but he skied it high from twenty-five yards out. Five minutes before half-time Sharps sent a long ball which found Harrold who chested it down to Ainsworth but Warrington was equal to the shot. In the final minute of the half Newey got the ball to Ellison but his header went just wide of the post.

At the start of the second half both sides were cancelling each other out but on the hour mark the Millers had the ball in the net from Ellison but the goal was ruled out for an earlier foul on the ‘keeper by Warne, who was on for the injured Tom Elliott. Actually, Warne coming on for the Millers coincided with them playing better and seeing more of the ball. Not long afterwards Jason Taylor had a shot parried out by Neal into the path of the ever waiting Le Fondre but he fluffed his chance and Neal gathered the ball. Taylor had another shot at goal that whisked by the post and Neal was on hand to smother a shot from Danny Harrison while Warne also had a shot that Neal managed to push over the bar. At the other end Matt Sadler and Harrold played a neat passing game and set up Mark Wright and with Warrington beaten the ball flew just wide of the post.

After what sounded like a poor first half for the Millers they came out fighting in the second although I suspect Ronnie Moore won`t be happy with the way the goal was conceded.